Who wants NHS privatisation?

GIANT MEDICAL and outsourcing companies are salivating at the prospect of getting lucrative contracts for NHS healthcare. That’s why private health bosses donated £750,000 to David Cameron’s 2010 election campaign. Now they are hoping their loyalty will be rewarded with the passing of Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s NHS and Social Care Bill.

Company: Norbrook Laboratories
CEO: Eddie Haughey aka. Lord Ballyedmond
Haughey is the richest man in Northern Ireland with a fortune of £370 million. Owner of Corby Castle and its surrounding estates, Haughey gave the Tories a personal donation of £50,000 for the general election.
His company, Norbrook primarily makes drugs for animals, with factories on four continents, but since 1999 it has been “aggressively expanding growth opportunities for new developments in private healthcare”.
Company: The Priory Group
CEO: Philip Scott
The Priory Group is most famous for it’s private re-hab clinic, treating stars such as Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse. But over 77 per cent of its profits already come from the NHS. Last month it merged with Craegmoor to boost its numbers of old peoples’ homes and mental healthcare hospitals.
The Priory Group expects to do well out of GPs contracting out services. “We expect to become the partner of choice for many of the new commissioning entities,” a spokesman said.
Philip Scott gave £20,000 to the Tories, and the previous owner, Chai Patel was at the centre of the cash-for-honours scandal, lending £1.5 million to Labour and being rewarded with a nomination to the House of Lords by Tony Blair – only blocked by the ensuing scandal.
Company: Care UK
CEO: John Nash
Nash, former chair of the Venture Capital Association, and his wife have donated hundreds of thousands to the Tories over many years, but sparked particular outrage by donating £21,000 to Andrew Lansley’s private office.
Care UK was quickly and handsomely rewarded with a £53 million contract to run healthcare in Britain’s prisons in the North East.
And the company was doing well out of taxpayers even before this, making 96 per cent of its money through NHS contracts – in particular walk-in centres and treatment centres built during Labour’s time in office.
Company: TLC Group
CEO: Dolar Popat
A life-long Tory peer in the House of Lords, Popat is a millionaire and chair of TLC, which owns many private elderly care homes. He has given the Tories £209,000 out of his £42 million fortune, and gave them an extra £25,000 one week after the healthcare Bill was published.
TLC has undergone rapid expansion in the Republic of Ireland, and has been criticised for serious understaffing.
 
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